Dan Restores His Panasonic RF-7270 Royal Aire Radio-Recorder

 

Thanks to Dan Somers for these restoration tips:

During a mostly cosmetic restoration of a recently acquired Panasonic RF-7270 Royal-Aire radio/recorder, it occurred to me that other radio enthusiasts might like to know about some of the tools and supplies I use. In addition to the well-known DeoxIT D5 contact cleaner and common cotton swabs, my radio-restoration supply closet includes a variety of dental tools, rolls of blue shop towels, pointy-style cotton swabs, and Armor All brand Natural Finish Detailer in a spray bottle:

 

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Many old-radio enthusiasts apply regular Armor All original-style vinyl protectant or Pledge furniture polish to the exterior surfaces of old radios. While these products may improve the overall appearance, I think they tend to make old radios look artificially shiny -- almost greasy. What's more, Pledge furniture polish and similar products contain petroleum distillates which may degrade some plastics over time. That's not good if you'd like future generations to admire and enjoy your old radio.

 

My preference is to use Armor All Natural Finish Detailer instead. This product is relatively new and can be found at most well-stocked auto parts stores. The Natural Finish Detailer cleans and protects in one step. It's the best product I've found to clean, restore, and protect in one step. Another benefit is that Armor All Natural Finish Detailer can be used on all surfaces, including plastic, chrome, anodized aluminum, and rubber. My Panasonic RF-7270 presented all of these materials as I worked to clean 40 years of dust, dirt, and debris from its exterior.

 

I used blue shop towels to thoroughly wipe down the exterior of the radio with detailer spray. The shop towels are softer and stronger than regular paper towels. You can find blue shop towels at auto parts stores, and one roll should be enough to clean half-a-dozen radios.

 

After the major grime was gone, I tackled all the nooks and crannies using a pointy cotton swab soaked with detailer spray. I borrowed the pointy cotton swabs from my wife's makeup table. They're perfect for coaxing dirt from dark corners and crevices. For stubborn residue, careful use -- very careful use -- of a dental pick will do the job. Dental tools are very sharp and hard, and it's easy to cause an unwanted scratch, so a steady hand and common sense are essential if you choose to use them. (BTW, my dentist was happy to give me an assortment of used tools for the asking.)

 

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I hope this information is helpful. I will continue to pass along news of any new radio-restoration tools and techniques I discover.

 

Comments

[Huesby]

Dan:
Comment about the performance of that radio please, I've always wanted to have one.

[Angelo]

Nice radio and I too would like to hear about it's reception and sound quality.

[Dan Somers]

Hugo and Angelo ... the Panasonic RF-7270 Royal-Aire is exceptionally good for a 40-year-old radio. It's not quite an RF-2200 or RF-888 in terms of sensitivity and selectivity, but the RF-7270's audio fidelity is superior. Not quite hi-fi, but it sounds pretty good playing an old Solid Gold Rock n' Roll cassette or listening to my local oldies radio station.

The speaker is a 5" x 7" oval driven by two power transistors. I could not find any evidence of ICs inside, so I believe this radio uses discrete components. A total of 17 transistors are employed. I commend Panasonic for having the restraint not to tout that achievement on the exterior of the radio.

The radio cleaned up nicely. The only internal gremlin was an old, over-stretched drive belt for the cassette mechanism. Believe it or not, you can still order new cassette drive belts online. A replacement belt made the Royal-Aire perform as if new.

I can't find much information about this radio other than a brief mention in an article in the February, 1971 issue of Popular Mechanics. If anyone knows more about it, I'm all ears.

BTW, inside the radio, I found a pleasant surprise. The guys at Panasonic had included a large, printed copy of the RF-7270's schematic -- carefully folded and tucked between the chassis and the case. Nice touch!

[Radio Russ]

An excellent article full of good info for my many projects. I can find everything locally but the pointy Q-tips and I have a friend working on that. I recently bought replacement belts for a Craig 212 reel-to-reel tape recorder. Beautiful radio too!

[Bert Carapito]

Hi,
Does anyone know where I can find the service manual for the National RF-7270?
Mine is in pretty good condition, but the antenna support is loose and needs to be fixed. I removed the back cover but it doesn't give access to the support.
Thanks in advance/Bert

[George]

I have a brand new RF-7270 in the original box. Inside it is still wrapped in original plastic, with styrofoam protection, original batteries, manuals, advertisements and microphone. (I haven't even seen the radio itself it's completely wrapped in original tape and plastic).

I am trying to determine the value of something like this, any thoughts?

Thanks!